The New Carnival Company’s annual Mardi Gras parade is back on the streets after two years of absence due to the pandemic. It will take place in Ryde on Saturday 9th July.
The 2022 launch event held at Quay Arts (25th January) was attended live by over 50 people, including councillors, teachers, artists, and community volunteers, all keen to find out more about this year’s theme – Our World Our Future.
The New Carnival Company (NCC) outlined its artistic vision for the parade and explained how the different topics in the theme were suggested by children and young people themselves.
Ray: Lots of ideas for positive action
Hannah Ray, learning manager of the NCC explained,
“For the first time, we invited young people to write the storyboard for the parade. We talked to them about issues and problems affecting the world and they had a surprisingly good grasp of the ‘sustainable development’ concept.
“We looked at the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and prioritising the goals and realised how interdependent they are. They gave us lots of ideas for positive action and this parade will demonstrate that optimism and determination.”
20 sections
Our World Our Future will have 20 sections, falling into four categories – People, the Planet, Places and Peace.
There will be carnival costumes and presentations on the road representing topics such as ‘End Global Warming!’ and ‘Reduce Waste!’, we want ‘Clean Energy’ and ‘Freedom and Justice’!
Hannah explained how each school and group taking part will also make an active pledge to do something together to leave a positive legacy – like planting trees, or walking to school, or giving to food banks.
Eco pledge
The NCC itself is making a pledge to remove all petrol and diesel vehicles from its parade and to introduce new ways of creating sound, both live and recorded.
There will be a much greater focus on costume presentation and choreography, with New Carnival Company offering an extensive programme of supporting workshops and dedicated resources online.
Highlights of the evening
Highlights of the evening were two musical presentations on the theme, performed by Wroxall Primary School children and students from IW College Performing Arts.
They sang calypsos they had written earlier in a workshop delivered by Alexander D Great from London, one of the country’s leading carnival music experts.
Alexander explained about creating song for the parade and spoke about National Children Carnival Week, 9th to 15th July, of which the Mardi Gras at Ryde is part of the national opening celebrations.
Andre: A fabulous activity that engages our Island children and young people
Cllr Debbie Andre, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, attended the event. She said,
“Mardi Gras is a fabulous activity that engages our Island children and young people in a creative way through Carnival, and that both supports and enriches the educational offer on the Island.
“It is fully inclusive and gives a voice to those groups who may not otherwise have the opportunity to fully express themselves, such as those with physical challenges and the neuro-diverse.
“The themes this year, chosen to represent the 17 UN sustainable development goals, will showcase our ambition, as a Biosphere Reserve, to encourage our young people to lead the way to a sustainable future for our Island.
“I would strongly encourage everyone to get involved in ‘Our World, Our Future’ and I would add ‘Our Young People, Our Future’.”
News shared by Chris on behalf of the New Carnival Company. Ed
